Refrigerating apparatus and method



Sept. 8, 193i. D. H. KILLEFFER REFRIGERATING APPARATUS AND METHOD FiledA April l5. 1929 H INVENTOR avdjlljfer Z BY ATTORNEY Patented sept. s, 1931 UNITED STATES' fl,t22,850

PATENT oFFi'c'E DAVID H. KILLEFFER, OF YONKERS, NEW' YORK, ASSIGN'OR TO DRYICE EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGEEATING APPARATUS AND METHOD Application med Aprii 13,

My present invention applies to transportation packages, particularly corrugated paper cartons refrigerated by solid carbon di-` oxide, particularly for perishables, which require fairly low temperatures but are likely to be damaged by hard freezing. 'Materials of this kind are fresh meat, poultry, cheese and the like. v

One object of the invention is to provide a cheap package of the above type, -wherein the `solid carbon dioxide refrigerant may be insulated from the product and from the exterior heat so as to substantially reduce its rate of evaporation, thereby to maintain a desired relatively high range ofl refrigerant teinperatures within the package. Anotherobject is to arrange for a lengthy warming up circuit through which the sublimated gas is forced to flow before it escapes for general thermo-circulation inl the package. Another object is to have the warming up circuit terminate on the opposite side of the material to be refrigeratedso that the material will be subject on one side to the refrigerant effect due to direct heat absorption by the solid carbon dioxide, and on the other side to the direct action of the discharged gas, the intermediate side being protected by the flow of gas between these points.

It will be noted that one piece of solid carbon dioxide with its flow thus directed, willprotect three sides of the package, two of which are diametrically opposite. Consequently, if the package is intended to be used with the solid carbon dioxide compartment upward for natural gravity circulation of the gas downward, the package' willstill function properly if it is turned wrong-side-up. The gravity circulation of the gas will tend to be downward, but the forced circulation provided by my invention will cause all of the gas to be discharged on the top of the package when it is wrong-side-up. The means may consist of almost any reasonably gasproof container for the solid carbon dioxide,

plus the desired length of conduit, but a novel eEect-ive means is a long paper bag the body of which is used as the conduit.

The above method .of protecting the top, bottom and intermediate side may be dupli- 1929. Serial No. 354,765.v

cated `for the other sides of thev container so that all walls will be tion.

However, as before stated, the sin le bag arrangement first above described will frequently be suliicient, particularly if the carton is shaped or is used in such a way that it will naturallybe placed on one end or on the other instead of on one of its sides.

The above and other features of my invention will be .more evident from the following description lin connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein l Figs. 1 and 2 are vertical sections through a package, conventionally indicating a carton and contents refrigerated by solid carbon dioxide located at the top, Fig. 1 being on the line 1-1, Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 being on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; u Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic horizontal section or plan, view showing the spaced relation yof the outer and inner cartons; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective, showing how two supplies of solid carbon dioxide can be used. f

The outer container may consist of a rectangular carton of corrugated paper-board such as now used for ip any purposes except that for a coating or layer of asphalt on the inner surface of one of the plane sheets between which the corrugated sheet is located. Such a carton` may comprise a rectangular body portion 1 closed in at the bottom and the top by bent over flaps from the side walls, the inner flaps 2, 2, havin their free edges abutting as at 3 and the oter pair of liaps 4, 4, abutting in a similar manner at right angles to the abutment of the inner flaps. These flaps will be secured by pasters, not shown, but which may be similar to those commonly used for such purposes, except that much greater care is taken to'comp'letely cover all joints and seams in the top and bottom; also the material of the pasters may be asphalted or otherwise rendered gas-proof, although the latter expedient is not essential.

Within this carton is the material or parcels to be refrigerated. If of kind or shape to substantially interfere with free thermo protected, lin any posipresent purposes I prefer to apply a ieo circulation adjacent sides, bottom and top of the carton 1, such material may be enclosed in an inner container which may comprise body portion 5, with top and bottom iaps 6 preferably secured'by pasters. These inner and outer cartons may be of similar material, but in the present case, the inner one is indicated as consisting of ordinary pasteboard.

The inner carton 5 contains the product which is to be refrigerated during'transport or storage and in the present case, is shown of proper size for some particular use so that one or more parcels of the product, 7 7, in containers 8, 8, will snugly {it therein.

This inner carton, if used, will be substanl-tially smaller in size than the outer one, so

as to afford space for storage of solid carbon dioxide, and for complete thermo circulation of the gas therefrom across the top and bottom and up or down all four sides. Space at the bottom is afforded by cleats 9, 9, which in this case consist simply of folded over strips of the corrugated board, which, as shown in Fig. 2, terminate a substantial distance from the sides of the case so as to permit flow of gas behind as well as between said cleats.

. The sides of container 5 are spaced from the walls of container 1, preferably by corrugated board angle pieces 10, l0, arranged to form slide guides 11, 11, in which the corners of inner carton 5 will snugly lit. As shown more clearly in Fig. 3, this leaves four distinct passages for downflow and upow of thermo circulating gas within the contalner.

The size of the inner carton 5 is such as to afford required space '1n the top, 12, for the solid carbon dioxide refrigerant 13. The latter is supported on a-spacer 1.5, resting on the top of the inner carton 5. Thls spacer may consist of corrugated board having integral corrugated cleats 16, which may be formed by double folds of the corrugated board, as shown. These cleats afford space for cross circulation of gas. The refrigerant may be further insulated from direct heat transfer relation with the product by employing another sheet of corrugated board 17 resting on 15, and one or more edges of this sheet may be bent up as shown at 18 to afford a, cross partition whereby spilling of the gas in that direction will be prevented, thereby tending to direct the thermo circulation downward in some other direction as indicated for instance by arrow a, the corresponding up circulation tending to be on the opposite side of the carton as mdlcated by arrow b. It'will'be understood that this has to do with the general thermo circulation in the carton and does not depend upon whether the circulation is further directed by the special means described below.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the solid carbon dioxide 13 is arranged in the closed or bottorn end of a bag 20, of which the body portion 21 extends down through the space between the inner container 5 and the wall 10 and then across so that its open mouth 22 where the gas escapes is under the bottom of the conainer 5, substantially opposite the source of the gas which is in the closed end of the bagon top of the container. This bag is preferably of paper, relatively impervious to the gas and to make it so, the paper of the bag is preferably impregnated or coated with paraffine. Thus arranged, there are in effect two locations, one at top and one at bottom, where refrigerant values are effective. At the top the bag absorbs heat and the gas thereby evaporated is guided lthrough the body of the bag, which is disposed in a relatively thin space so that its cross-section is relatively small. Hence a relatively small evaporation rate will supply gas enough to afford quite active down circulation of the gas, partly by gravity due to the weight of the gas and, if the resistance is too great, then by forced circulation due to accumulated pressure. This portion of the circulation serves to cool the adjacent side of container 5 and also to shield it from heat coming through the outer carton, from the exterior. Necessarily, this warms the gas discharged at the bag mouth 22, rendering it unnecessary to have as much insulation beneath the package as above it. Cold gas flowing into this space continually is forced upward, displacing the air upward, which is driven out through leaks in the top of the container, accidental leaks being usually sufiicient, but special vents may be provided if desired. While the general trend of the gas flow is thus upward inthe atmosphere of the outer container 10, there is in addition a distinct tendency to reverse thermo circulation which I refer to above. This results from the direct absorption of heat by the solid carbon dioxide 13 at the top of the container, the refrigerant effect at this point being somewhat greater than the refrigerant values represented by the cold gas evaporating from the solid carbon dioxide. This absorption of heat chills the gas and causes it to flow downward. The amount of this thermo circulation as compared with the forced upfiow circulation of the gas will vary greatly according to conditions and from time to time.

By thus distributing the refrigerant effect of the gas, its temperature will be greatly moderated and the refrigerant effect of the solid carbon dioxide 13 may be similarly greatly moderated by wrapping it in insulating material as, for instance, several layers of newspaper diagrammatically indicated at 24'. The more newspaper'there is, the slower will be the heat absorption in the upper part of the container and the slower will be the rate of supplyv of the refrigerant gas. This makes it possible to have the refrigeration temperature as high as may be desired without the usual danger that the part of the of solid carbon dioxide.

product remote from the solid carbon dioxide will become too warm. In Fig. 4, I have shown how the above' means for guiding the circulation of the refrigerant medium around three sides of the container may be duplicated for the other three-sides by employing another piece of solid carbon dioxide, 13a, enclosed in a separate bag 20a having its body portion 21a extending around a side opposite to 21 and havingits mouth discharging on the side .my invention as embodied ina transportation package in Which a corrugated board carton is the protective container, it will be evident that broadly considered, the invention and many of its features will bel found highly useful in various 4other embodiments. For instance, the use of a long flexible bag of paper or other suitable material, having solid carbon dioxide at one end thereof and discharging gas through the mouth at the far e`nd of the bag, is an extremely useful unit that can be employed in connection with any storage or transportation chamber where it is desired to distribute a refrigerant eect It will be. evident also that various changes can be made as, for instance, the essential functions of the bag could be attained by employing primarily a flexible tubular element, open at both ends. In such case the solid carbon dioxide could be inserted through one'end and that end sealed in any desired way. This might be convenient since such a tubular member could be installed in thin or narrow passages, as desired, with an open end exposed for insertion of the solid carbon dioxide; also it will permit of making the conduit part of much smaller cross-section than the block of solid carbon dioxide which is to be employed.

I claim 1. The method of controlling distribution of refrigerant effects in a container of products refrigerated by solid carbon dioxide, which method includes absorbing heat by solid carbon dioxide to evaporate the same adjacent one portion of said products, confining said gas and forcing its flow to and discharge adjacent an opposite region of said body to protect three sides thereof, and similarly protecting the other three sides by similarly absorbing heat, confining, guiding and discharging the-resultant gas in similar relation to the other three sides.

2. A refrigerated package, including a heat insulating container having a perishable construction could be Asaid solid carbon dioxide product and a supply of solid carbon dioxide packed therein, in combination with a long bag withinwhich said solid carbon dioxide is located, the outlet from the latter beingy adjacent a remote surface of said refrigerated' product.

3. A refrigerated package, including a heat insulating container having a perishable product and a supply of solid carbon dioxide packed therein, in combination With a long bag within which said solid carbon dioxide is located, the outlet from the latter being adjacent a surface of said product opposite to the solid carbon dioxide.

4. A refrigerated package, including a heat insulating container having Aa perishable product and a supply of solid carbon dioxide packed therein, in combination with a long bag Within which said solid carbon dioxide is located, the outlet from the latterbeing adjacent a remote surface of said'product, and another supply of solid carbon dioxide enclosed in a long bag, dispo-sed similarly to that first mentioned, but with respect to other portions of said product.

5. A refrigerated package, including a heat insulating container having a perishable product and a supply of solid carbon dioxide packed therein, in combination with a long bag within which said solid carbon dioxide is located, the outlet from the latter being adjacent a surface of said product opposite to the solid carbon dioxide, and another supply of solid carbon dioxide enclosed in a long bag, disposed similarly to that first mentioned, but with respect to other sides of said product.

6. A refrigerated package, including a heat insulating container having a perishable product and a supply of solid carbon dioxide packed therein, partition means in the package tending to direct the thermo circulation from' thecool region adjacent the solid carbon dioxide downward one side of the package and upward the other side, in combination with a long bag within which is located, the outlet from the latter being adjacent a' remote surface of said refrigerated product.

7'. A refrigerated package, including a heat insulating container having a perishable product and a supply of solid carbon dioxide packed therein, a long bag in which the solid carbon dioxide an open end adapted to discharge gas in a remote region of the refrigerated space and is contained, having partition4 means in the package tending to thereby, arranged to afford circulatory passages above, below and around the product and between it and said solid carbon dioxide, in combination with a long bag in which the solid carbon dioxide is contained, having an open end adapted to discharge gas in a remote region .of the refrigerated space and partition means in the package tending to direct the thermo circulation from the cool region adjacent the solid carbon dioxide downward one side of the package and upward the other side.

9. A package including a container having walls of heat-insulating gas-proofed material and, within said container, solid carbon dioxide and products to be refrigerated thereby, arranged to aiord circulatory passages above, below and around the product and between it and said solid carbon dioxide, in combination with partition means in the package tending to direct the thermo circulation from the cool region adjacent the solid carbon dioxide downward one side of the package and upward the other side,'a long bag within which said solid carbon dioxide is located, the outlet from' the latter being adjacent a surface of said product opposite to the solid carbon dioxide.

10. Refrigerating apparat-us including an insulating container, in combination with refrigerating means including solid carbon dioxide and a long flexible conduit member closed at one end and having located within the closed end the solid carbon dioxide, the remaining portion of said ilexible member being arranged to ali'ord a flow passage and a remote outlet for gas evolved from said solid.

11. Refrigerating apparatus including an insulating container, in combination with refrigerating means including vsolid carbon disaid solid carbon dioxide is located, said bag being very long as compared with the volume of said solid, extending to and discharging gas in a region of the refrigerated space, remote from said solid carbon dioxide.

15. A refrigerating package, including a heat insulating container having a perishable product and a supply of solid carbon dioxide packed therein, in combination with a flexible enclosing member having within one portion Aso which the solid carbon dioxide is located, and

another portion of which acts as a passageway for gas sublimed by the solid carbon dioxide, the outlet for the latter being adjacent a surface of said product opposite to the solid carbon dioxide but within the outer enclosure.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 11th dayof April, A. D. 1929.

DAVID H. KILLEFFER'.

oxide and a bag having located in the normally closed end thereof the solid carbon dioxide, the body of which is arranged to afford a flow passage and a remote outlet for gas evolved from said solid, the outlet of the body portion being left unrestricted.

12. Refrigerating apparatus including a'n insulating container, in combination with refrigerating means including solid carbon dioxide and a bag within which said solid carbon dioxide is located, the body of which is arranged to afford a flow passage and a remote outlet for gas evolved from said solid.

13. Refrigerating apparatus including an insulating container, in combination with refrigerating means includin solid carbon dioxide and a bag of gas-proo ed material within which said solid carbon dioxide is located, the body of which is arranged to alord a :How passage and a remote outlet for gas evolved from said solid.

14. In refri erating apparatus, an insulating casing enclosing a refrigerated space and means for refrigerating the same, including solid carbon dioxide and a bag within which 

